Nash gripped my chin and tore my gaze to the left, forcing it to Cam, on his knees in the mud, Butch Crow’s knife at his throat.
Butch leered, “Your choice, sergeant. Him or you.”
Me. Always fucking me.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out and I shot a pleading look to Cam.Tell them. Tell them to kill me and let you live.
But he was never going to do that and every fucker in the rain-soaked field knew it.
I stopped fighting, shifting enough that Nash could lean on me.
He was shaking, his leg was fucked, kneecap pointing in the wrong direction.Help him. But Cam had a zombie knife pressed to his throat. I couldn’t do anything, just stare, horror a slow cancer that crept through my cells, eating me alive.They’re going to kill him in front of us. Make us watch.
I found Cam’s gaze. Hesmiledat me before his expression hardened, cutting emotion dead.
No. Don’t go.
Cam ripped his molten stare from me and turned it on Butch. “Get it over with. Unless you’re having second thoughts about tormenting me with the fate of those kids in your van.”
“Kids?” Butch licked his lips. “With tits like that? Man, putting your dick in the wrong place has fucked with your head. Shame. If you weren’t such a cunt in my side, I coulda saved you one. Taken every finger from your brother as payment. Or your sister’s sweet pussy.”
Nash jerked.
I caught him before he could lunge, gripping his dislodged kneecap and whacking it back into place.
He let out a guttural groan and puked, body heaving before he slumped forward, breathing hard.
Pain flared in Cam’s iron gaze, laced with understanding. He knew what I’d done. He knew why.
A rage filled sound escaped him. “I don’t need underage skin to get my dick hard, Crow. But thanks for the offer.”
Scowling, Butch pressed the blade into Cam’s neck a little deeper, drawing blood. “You’re on your knees, O’Brian, and you think you’re better than me? Maybe I should put my dick inyourfucking mouth.”
Cam bared his teeth.
Butch raised a hand, a brass duster fitted to his knuckles, and decked Cam in the face.
Cam’s head flew back, blood spraying from his split lip. But he stayed upright, spitting to the side. “Fuck you.”
I braced myself for another blow, but it didn’t come.
Butch leaned down, his face so close to Cam’s that I felt violated on his behalf. “I’d return the sentiment, but there’s no need, cos I already did.”
“Meaning?”
“The shipment.” Butch’s mouth widened into a sick grin. “McGif’s on his way to pack it into your warehouse and torch the place. Remote as it is, whole lot’ll be charcoal by the time anyone notices and all them bones and DNA will be at your door, not mine.”
Colour drained from Cam’s face. “What?”
“You heard me. And I’m still going to kill you, but I’m gonna hide your body so good the coppers think you’re on the run and that’s your legacy: the King who did a bunk with the blood of ten whores on his hands.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?” Spit flew from Butch’s mouth. “I’ve spent my entire life watching you take what’s mine. Eat away at our territory, humiliating Frank every chance you got. Fucking up every income stream we ever had. I watched your dad bleed to death at the side of the road. Now I get to watch you too—”
Cam’s enraged roar cut Butch off. He surged forward, knocking Butch off balance, and seized his throat, his big hands wrapping around the thick flesh. Squeezing. Not giving a single fuck that it took barely a heartbeat for Butch to raise his blade again. “Kill me,” Cam ground out. “I don’t care, but I’m gonna break your neck while you do it.”
Kamikaze.Fuck, we’d known it would end that way. I hauled Nash upright and met his gaze for the briefest of moments. Then we both lurched to our feet for the fight of our lives.